Designers such as Erwan Bouroullec, Louise Campbell, Foster + Partners and Jonas Trampedach used sewing machines to create objects for the third edition of the annual Værktøj exhibition during 3 Days of Design.

The Værktøj platform was founded in 2024 by Frederik Weber and Gustav Dupont, Trampedach, Kasper Salto and Michael Antrobus as a way to explore how tools inform the design process as well as the outcome.

The format provides a common starting point – in this case the sewing machine – and asks participants to create a one-off object that embodies the chosen tool's unique capabilities.

The previous exhibition presented objects made using a hydraulic press, while the inaugural edition focused on the capabilities of profile bending machines.

"Værktøj 3 invites visitors to consider the often invisible influence of tools and how they shape a designer's identity," the founders explained.

The objects presented during Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design festival included a sofa with a simple wooden frame and a seat covered with robust Tyvek fabric by Bouroullec.

London-based Foster + Partners Industrial Design contributed a lamp called Lomme – named after the Danish word for pocket – that used a stitched seam to lend the piece its structure and shape.

Other lighting objects include design duo Frederik Gustav's clusters of folded and sewn textile volumes, as well as Trampedach's wall lamps made by stretching a piece of fabric over a custom-made glass tube.

Danish designer Campbell's Peep lampshades were produced using textiles and paper that are rolled up to create a three-dimensional form held in place by just a few contrasting dark stitches.

British design studio Pearson Lloyd, meanwhile, used ripstop nylon and fibreglass struts to construct its BiCone lamp, which is part of an ongoing exploration of how materials can perform functions such as screening and diffusing light.

Several of the designers focused on the role of sewing in upholstered furniture, including Lærke Ryom's lounge chair covered with loose fabric that introduces textural folds and creases.

Industrial designer Kasper Salto reinterpreted a pressed-wood table, created for the previous year's exhibition, as the base for a stool featuring a cushion upholstered using upcycled vintage fabric.

Antrobus stitched together two pieces of leather to form a sling-like seat fixed to a metal frame, while Sia Hurtigkarl developed a swing seat that was made from discarded sails and informed by the methods used in sailmaking.

Other group exhibitions that took place during 3 Days of Design included a show that saw designers create pairs of products informed by bathing culture, as well as an exhibition of furniture and objects designed using Danish brand Mater's recycled materials.

The photography is by Peter Vinther.

Værktøj 3 took place from 10 to 12 June 2026 as part of 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.